Catching Others Using Strengths

by Bethany Larson

Trust is important to you, and you care about being seen as responsible and trustworthy. People count on you to do what you say you will do.

This is part of the description of Dependability, one of the ten strengths from Gallup’s StrengthExplorer. Over the past few weeks, the students have been learning what their top three strengths are by taking the StrengthsExplorer test. During their team time, students have also been learning about all ten strengths: Achiever, Caring, Competing, Confidence, Dependability, Discoverer, Future Thinker, Organizer, Presence and Relating. Reading about famous people with these strengths, making up skits that portray a particular strength, or discussing people we know that display the strength are all activities that have been used by teachers to help students to understand their strengths and others’.

When talking about dependability, third through fifth graders got to test out just how dependable they are with each other. With their backs to their classmates, each student would free-fall into their classmate’s arms, trusting that their classmates would catch their fall.

It has been great to see the students, now knowing their strengths, make connections with other students and staff. I have Dependability as one on my strengths. When the students were showing off their free-fall activity during snack time, I was volunteered by a student because, “Miss Bethany can catch us, she is dependable.” I’m glad the students are starting to learn how to identify strengths in themselves and others and make connections about how they can use them to make an impact.